The invention relates to the disposal and storage of used materials, specifically a device for separating and storing recyclable materials from a single location, and providing for the collection thereof.
The popularity of recycling has become a necessity as the consumption of disposable containers is on the increase. In addition to the shrinkage of landfill space, landscape destruction associated with the extraction and processing of raw materials is a more recent ecological concern as is the economic inefficiency of such processes, in contrast to the processing of used containers. However, alarming amounts of reusable materials are still being discarded by the millions daily. One common reason for this sad statistic is that individuals find recycling inconvenient.
One disadvantage of most previous inventions found is the requirement on the part of the user to presort as well as transport the items to be recycled. Previous methods for the collection, separation and storage of recyclable materials have frequently been located in one central location, requiring the user to transport the would be garbage to the facility. The energy consumed in the transportation process is somewhat defeating to the purpose of energy conservation as well as inconvenient to participating individuals. These facilities have also been found to be limited to accepting only certain types of materials. Examples include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,480,737, Jamgochian, Nov. 6, 1984, 4,829,428, Weltzman May 9, 1989, 4,469,212, DeWoolfson, Sep. 4, 1984 and 4,519,306, LaBarge, May 28, 1985. All these inventions are limited to glass beverage bottles and or aluminum cans. The so called third party system, as illustrated in Weltzman's patent also requires store employees to transport barrels of such materials to larger bins.
Many sorting and storing devices have been found to be mechanically complex and therefore space and energy consuming. The use of conveyor belts, magnetic separators, wheels, motors and crushers suit these inventions best for large scale applications. For example U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,688 features a lift to facilitate sorting. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,435 a magnetic wheel separates materials after they have been deposited down a chute. Jamgochian's invention and Stahle's U.S. Pat. No. 4,760,925, Aug. 2, 1988, are both motor driven and send unsorted waste through several steps of sorting. Many of these devices are limited to acceptable materials as well. Much space and energy is used to retrieve only a few products. An excessive use of space is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,013,551, deFeudis, Mar. 2, 1977, which features separate chutes and depositories for sorting. U.S. Pat. No. 4,098,181, issued to Edward August Schultz Jul. 4, 1978, introduces an on site sorting, processing and storage device for domestic waste. Schultz's invention features two motors which drive two grinders and two crushers each. For such a domestic application as this invention was designed, such machinery might be considered undesirably noisy and energy consumptive. Additionally, separate chutes use up space. Domestic materials collected weekly do not require so much space as to justify compressing them.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an on site means for conveniently disposing of would be waste in a manner which accommodates the recycling of the waste. Further objects of the invention are to provide a system for separating and storing materials neatly and unobtrusively, to provide convenient access for the collection of such materials, and to broaden the popularity of recycling by providing an inexpensive, convenient and unobtrusive method to do so. For larger than household applications, the invention further offers means for compacting the materials to minimize storage space requirements.
The invention is designed to be installed in any building. An inside depository offers a convenient way of disposing used materials, as usually would go into the trash. The deposited material is transported outside to be channeled to one of several bins in a divided storage area. This simple procedure can minimize the inconvenience and disorder that sorting and storing waste can cause. The bins are accessible and removable from the outside, for the convenience of waste collectors or recyclers.
The invention is designed to utilize the force of gravity in the sorting process. Only a minute expenditure of energy is required to activate the gate mechanisms which channel deposited items. The described embodiment includes a control panel for this purpose, thus the sorting is the individual's decision. One preferred embodiment provides for an automatic sorting technique based on scanning the deposited materials. The reading would activate the gate mechanisms.
The present invention is designed to adapt to various sizes of buildings, as its capacity is variable in accordance with its intended application. The simple design permits the invention to be easily and inexpensively installed into existing buildings, potentially increasing drastically the volume of recyclable materials readily sorted and available to collectors. A collective widespread usage of the present invention could notably reduce the rates at which landfill space and natural resources are consumed.